April 2022

- Tom Brezsny

Crazy Is All Relative

April 25, 2022Crazy is all relative of course. As in…crazy compared to what? That’s especially true when it comes to real estate prices…Crazy price compared to what?  In the old days, when people were thinking about moving here from other parts of the country or from other, less expensive areas of California, they would often get blown out of the water by their first introduction to house prices in Santa Cruz.  They just couldn’t understand why they got so little house for the big money people were...

- Dax Nollenberger

What about a Short Term Rental?

April 19, 2022An excellent way to offset the rising housing cost is to rent out all or a portion of your new home for a specified period of time throughout the year.  A question I get frequently as a real estate agent in Santa Cruz County is, can I Airbnb this property? Unfortunately for me, the answer isn’t a clear yes or a clear no. As with any government-regulated industry, there are extensive rules and regulations.  The short answer, of course, is maybe. With an ever-increasing housing...

- Tom Brezsny

Out Of Town Agents

April 18, 2022Today’s question: Why do Sellers occasionally choose out of town Agents to list their homes?   It always surprises me when unusual signs pop-up or new listings come on the MLS offered by Agents who don’t live or work here. There are almost 1500 Realtors in Santa Cruz County. You’d think Sellers would have plenty of options right here in their own backyard. I guess I can think of a few reasons why Sellers might hire non-local Agents. I just can’t think of any good...

- Tom Brezsny

Quickie Guide

April 11, 2022Continuing the conversation… talking about the successive waves of craziness sweeping through the market these days and how whenever  the market reaches a new all-time high, there’s always another one waiting in the wings to blow it out of the water. In other words: the crazy market just keeps getting crazier. The market is off the charts and off the rails and it’s getting harder to keep up with all the changes that are driving values and transforming the real estate process. For those feeling...

- Terry Brezsny Ballantyne

Be Gentle With Your Partner

April 8, 2022I am noticing in my conversations with couples that one of the two of them will tell me in confidence, “He’s losing his hearing but won’t get it tested” or “She’s starting to mumble all the time”. Or “I have stopped asking him to open jars, he can’t do it either!” Other topics: time to stop climbing ladder driving is becoming dangerous/risky little things are getting forgotten using power tools is more difficult the laundry basket suddenly feels really heavy The heavy wet laundry is...

- Tom Brezsny

Crazy Wisdom

April 4, 2022What a crazy time for real estate…and for life! That’s nothing new of course since the world has been crazy-making for quite some time now.  What is new however, is the increasing frequency of the crazy new variants of crazy that are arriving every few months to smash all previous standards of crazy and raise the bar on how crazy crazy can get. As far back as 2016, people were asking:  “Have you ever seen a market this crazy?” That was only a few years...

- Terry Brezsny Ballantyne

When It’s Too Late To Let Go

April 4, 2022One of the most common conundrums I see with people in the third stage, is this: It’s clear they are slowing down but reluctant to let go of the idea they will live vigorously forever! Currently at mid 70s many of you are still climbing ladders, wielding chainsaws, lifting heavy pots and pans, bending over the oven, trimming the wisteria. Playing with grandkids wears you out but is still an adventure of running, getting down on all fours, playing tag. But can that last forever?...